Looking for a basic compression pedal

[tothemax]

I'm fairly happy with my overall tone, but would like to add a bit of compression. I've owned the Boss CS-3 pedal before and I didn't find that it helped much for guitar tones and traded it off many moons ago. My gig setup is an Ampeg BA210v2 with a Porta Flex 2x10 cab, I do use a bit of the "Scrambler" OD circuit to add a little dirt.

My signal chain is very basic: tuner --> MXR 10 band EQ --> amp.

What would you suggest for a compression effect pedal to get started with. Good tone control without a huge learning curve.

Cheers

 

[2saddleslab]

The Ampeg OptoComp is simple, easy to use, & places the bass perfectly in the mix.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Seymour Duncan Studio Bass…seeing them secondhand for ~$110. In my universe, a blend / parallel compression option is a must. Lots of great bargains in the TB classifieds…just do your homework. You can snag a really decent comp for low-dough.

Riis

 

[BioDriver]

SD Studio Bass

Old/vintage BBE OptoComp

Diamond BCP

 

[tothemax]

I appreciate the feedback...

The Ampeg Opto Comp is looking interesting for simplicity, and after going through some of the Compressor Tests in the sticky am wondering about the Joyo Cali76 clone - the Avalon (much better on the budget). It's all good, and always great to understand tone shaping. Compression has always been a bit difficult for me to understand for live sound. Am checking out this video now... should be helpful.

​

 

[triviani]

The Keeley Bassist is simple and unobtrusive. I’d skip the “clones”.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Keeley or Diamond or more complex Empress.

 

[40Hz]

Two good choices for a JSG (just sounds good) compressor are the earlier mentioned Keeley Bassist and the Ovnifx Smoothie. Both are easy to dial in and nearly impossible to make yourself sound bad using either.

The Keeley Bassist handles the sometimes tricky attack and release parameters for you, is extremely transparent, and is about as easy to use as a compressor gets. It’s the type of compressor you don’t always notice when it’s on. But you’ll immediately notice and probably miss it the minute you switch it off. Hard to go wrong with this compressor.

The Smoothie is a little more versatile but also very forgiving. One of the best (IMO) things it has going for it is how you can actually hear what each of its controls has on your sound. So it’s a great learning tool that allows you to come up to speed pretty quickly when using it. It does add a pleasant but subtle warmth and thickening to your sound. But it’s not overly colorized. And its separate tone control is a very welcome and quite useful feature that expands its versatility. The Smoothie also works equally well with either a bass or regular guitar. Lots to like. Highly recommended.

(I own both these pedals. )

 

[JimmyM]

Opto Comp I really liked this one very mild setting I had. I wish I could remember it, but it gave the low mids a character that I loved. Don’t have it anymore but sometimes wish I did, although I really don’t like comp on my bass overall.

 

[jastraw]

I recently discovered the jhs pulp 'n peel v4. It's a single knob compression setting with blend control. I'm shocked how good this sounds. Other features includes single knob EQ. A dirt circuit based The Rat. And it's a DI box with XLR out. One nifty pedal. The compression, to my ears, is the star. I love this thing. PULP N PEEL V4

 

[prndltech]

The Keeley Bassist is simple and unobtrusive. I’d skip the “clones”.

/thread.

Beat me to it.


And this is coming from someone who used to have one and a cali76. I no longer run a dedicated compressor pedal, though I do use some in my patches on the hx stomp

 

[mrperkolator]

Trickfish released one today. Video looks like it has a real good balance between usability and tweaking. Has a good looking LED meter too.

 

[Lava]

Keeley Bassist

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

If you are playing a 5 string bass, I'd like to let you know that a "basic compressor" never worked for me. I need a clean blend and/or HPF in order to prevent the B string from drowning.

 

[kyral210]

Black Country Customs: The Custard Factory. It’s simple to use and to my ear is subtle but just makes the bass sound better. I don’t know much about compression, but I know I dislike the sound and feel of all compressors in the helix and really like TCF.

• Compression
• Volume
• Blend
• Presence (makes the bass more focused)
• Three way attack speed switch

 

[Gigas444]

I have tried many comp pedals during the years and I have never found one which could satisfy my taste (I mean 100% satisfied, I often had something which I didn't like), but, as soon as I got the Darkglass Hyperluminal, I found I like almost all of the tones you can get out of it and, most important, it makes you sit perfectly in the mix

 

[Dave W]

Another vote for the Keeley Bassist.

I have a whole bunch of comps that are highly regarded, the Keeley is still the one I use at all of my gigs because it's so easy to set and sounds amazing.

 

[Rogulus]

Ampeg opto comp, very fat and punchy sounding, works some magic in the low mids, very musical.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

My first choice for a simple to use compressor pedals is the EBS Multicomp. You really can't go wrong with this pedal. It used to be quite popular around here but seems to have gone a bit out of fashion lately.

Of course it won't give you the possibility to shape your dynamics/envelope at all but that's where the learning curve kicks in. If you want simple, fool-proof dynamics control the EBS Multicomp is a no-brainer IMO. Simple "one-knob" compression. Ok, it actually has two knobs but the second one is just the output volume (which should normally be set for unity gain btw, proper gaing staging is important!!!).

There are other good options too of course.

If you don't want a huge learning curve you should definitely avoid all compressors with individual knobs for attack/release/ratio/threshold. Compression is BY FAR the most difficult effect to get right and poor compression is MUCH worse than no compression. I see far too many bass players ruin their tone with poor compression. Get a bass-specific "one knob" compressor with a good reputation and you will be fine.

 

[nanbanpapa]

BOSS BC-1X

If you leave the knobs at 12', you already have a great sound. You don't need to make too many adjustments.
It´s digital, it has a lot of headroom for hot signals. It will divide your sound by different band frequencies and compress them individually, which is excellent for bass. Even though sounds fancy, it is dumb-proof, thus serves me greatly